Toxicoses of pet birds (parrots and related species): lead, zinc, and PTFE
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual article "Toxicoses of Pet Birds" (first-hand, retrieved 2026-07-29 via curl, HTML stripped to plain text). All bullets are exact verbatim substrings of the cited source_file and C1-substring verified.
Toxic substances for psittacine (parrot) and other pet birds
Lead toxicosis is commonly reported in companion birds as well as in free-ranging avian species, especially waterfowl. In pet birds, toxicosis often occurs from ingestion of metal in the home, such as blinds, costume jewelry, mirror backings, bird toys, hardware cloth, and curtain weights.Zinc toxicosis is frequently reported in pet birds. Sources of zinc include any galvanized toys, chains, mesh, bells, keys, and pennies (post 1982). Galvanized wire contains mainly zinc, but some may also contain lead.Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) gas poisoning occurs commonly in pet birds housed in or near kitchens. The gas is released from certain types of nonstick cookware when the pans are overheated, at temperatures reaching 280°C (536°F).